Keyboard perforator transmitter



Jan. 19, 1943. v R. A. LAKE 2,303,518

' KEYBOARD PERFORATOR TRANSMITTER Filed Sept. 0, 1940 2 She'ets-Sheet 1 FLGJ INVENTOR.

Ross A. L KE ATTORNEY.

BY dw w Jan. '19, 1943.

R. A. LAKE KEYBOARD PERFORATOR TRANSMITTER N UTm LAKE INVENTOR.

Ross

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Sept. 20, 1940 Patented Jan. 19, 1943 UNITED STATES ATENT OFFICE KEYBOARD PERFORATOR TRANSMITTER Ross A. Lake, Oak Park, 111., assignor to Teletype Corporation, Chicago, 111.,

Delaware a corporation of Application September 20, 1940, Serial No. 357,563

6 Claims. (Cl. 178-80) ening and rendering uniform the touch of the space key lever.

The invention features the severance of the tape feeding cycle from the restorational cycle of the operating bail for the punch pins. In feeding mechanisms of this type already known in the art it has sometimes been the custom to associate the feed mechanism directly with the punch hammer, in such a way that they are mechanically united and travel through the perforating and feeding cycles simultaneously. In

such a design the kinetic energy of the punch hammer created by means of its restoring spring in effecting the return movement of the heavy hammer from its perforating position is transmitted directly to thefeed pawl and feed roll and, because of the magnitude of this energy, may under certain circumstances have a tendency to shear the feed pawl or teeth on the feed roll or cause the holding ratchet on the feed roll shaft to overtravel its detent resulting in an overfeed of the tape. In the proposed arrangement the feeding mechanism and the punch hammer are not mechanically united but rather each may operate, for at least a portion of its return movement from its respective operating position, independently of the other. By separating these return movements the relatively high kinetic energy of the punch hammer is not transmitted to the feeding mechanism and hence, that mechanism will not be subjected to high shearing forces, the tendency of the feed wheel ratchet to overtravel its detent will be reduced, and the wear on the feeding mechanism as a whole will be lessened.

The invention also features means to disengage the feed pawl from the feed roll at the lower end of the feed pawl travel. With this structure it is possible to eliminate the backspace cam which would otherwise be necessary.

This invention further features the lightening of the touch of the space key lever by reducing to a minimum the friction on the repeat space rod. For the accomplishment of this result the repeat space rod is mounted in a guide plate and the return spring and control lever, provided for the selective positionment of the repeat space rod, operate directly upon the guide plate rather than upon the repeat space rod, thus assuring the free operation of the rod. It has been the practice in the past to connect the restoring spring to and permit the control lever to rest directly upon the repeat space rod and this load tended to make the operation of the repeat space rod sluggish.

A more complete understanding of the invention may be had from the following description, read in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal elevational view of the perforator transmitter;

Fig. 2 is a partial plan view of the transmitter unit;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the keyboard operating. lever and its association with the repeat space rod;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken on' line 4-4 of Fi 3; and

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the backspace mechanism of the perforator.

The preforator transmitter disclosed in the drawings is of the type shown in Patent No.

1,965,572, granted to C. W. Burcky et a1. and reference may be had to that patent for a more complete disclosure of the details of the perforator transmitter. Referring now more particularly to the drawings there is shown a keyboard I and its base casting 2. A plurality of key levers 4 is supported upon pivot rod 5 and each key lever is provided with a keytop 3. The pivot rod 5 extends transversely of the casting 2. There is a spring (not shown) associated with each key lever, as is the usual practice, to maintain the key levers in their normal bank position. Toward the front of the casting and disposed beneath the key levers 4 there is provided a plurality of pairs of permutation bars 6, see Fig. l. The permutation bars are fully disclosed in U. S. Patent No. 1,884,753, to which reference may be had for a complete understanding of the details thereof. The particular number of permutation bars necessary is dependent upon the particular code employed. The structure disclosed in the drawings is adapted to employ the five unit code and consequently a corresponding number of pairs of permutation bars is provided. Each pair of permutation bars comprises a bar I and a bar 8. Each of these bars is provided with a pair of vertical slots 9 by means of which the respective bars are associated on combs l0 rods I l.

carrying rods H which extend transversely of permutation bars 1 and 3. With such an arrangement the individual bars of a permutation pair may move vertically but are held restrained from any horizontal movement.

There is associated With each pair of permutation bars rock arms I 2 mounted on transverse The rock arms l2 are substantially T shaped, with their free ends formed with offset lugs on opposite sides of the pivot rod II and spaced some distance therefrom. One of the lugs of each rock arm projects forwardly into a notch on the lower edge of the corresponding permutation bar I, and its other lug projects rearwardly beneath the companion permutation bar '8. With this arrangement the depression of either permutation bar of the pair of bars 6 rocks the arms 12 and lifts the companion permutation bar. Pivotally articulated to the depending portion of the T-shaped rock arms I2 is a longitudinally movable perm'utation bar l3. When a permutation bar of any pair is depressed through the action of the key lever, the rock arms I2 will be rocked about their pivots l I thus moving the 1ongitudinal permutation bar l3 either to the right or left, as viewed in Fig. 1.

Each of the key levers 4 is arranged, when operated, to engage and depress one of the permutation bars of each pair of permutation bars 6 and to set these bars in accordance with a character code combination. For the accomplishment of this result, the upper edges of the permutation bars 1 and 8 are notched to provide high and low portions in accordance with the particular code. Also, the bars of each pair of permutation bars are complementary; that is, the notches of one bar are opposite the projections of its companion bar. The interconnection between the bars of each pair of bars 6 by means of the rock arms l2 prevents the simultaneous depression of two key levers. If an attempt is made to operate more than one key lever, the key levers can only be depressed for a short distance when they will be blocked by the high portions of the permutation bars. By such construction, the simultaneous depression of two key levers and the transmission of an incorrect signal is prevented.

The perforator unit comprises a casting associated by means of an interconnecting member 2| with the casting 2 of the transmitter keyboard. A perforating magnet 22 is suitably housed within the casting 20 and has associated with it an armature lever 23 carrying an armature 47. Reference may be had to U. S. Patent No. 2,190,309 granted to C. W. Burcky for a specific and detailed description of an armature lever which is suitable for use in the perforator unit. This armature lever 23, as will be more fully explained hereinafter, serves as the punch hammer and is pivoted to rock shaft 24. A comb portion 25 also secured to rock shaft 24 is associated with the armature and serves as a guide for the slidable interponents 25. The interponent bar 27 is provided for the feed hole punch element and is pivotally secured to the interconnecting member 2 I. Co-operating with the feed hole punch interponent is a rib member 28 secured to the armature lever. Through its engagement with rib 23 the feed hole punch interponent 27 is held in a more elevated position than any of the other interponent members 26. A retaining member (not shown) is arranged above the interponent bars and is spring urged against interponent 21. Due to the fact that interponent 21 is always slightly higher than interponents 25, the sliding movement of the latter is not impeded by the retaining member. One interponent 26 is operatively associated with each of the pairs of permutation bars which position the slidable interponents. This association is through a pivotally mounted lever 29 pivoted at 38 and articulated to the interponent 26, and a link 3| pivotally connected between lever 29 and its corresponding permutation bar l3.

A pawl carrying member 32 is pivotally mounted upon the perforator frame at 33 and at its forward end 34 is in abutting relation with the armature lever. A feed pawl 35 is pivotally mounted on lever 32 and is provided with a projecting tooth portion 36 and a cam projection 31. A spring 38, connected to feed pawl 35 and to the perforator frame at 39, tends normally to rotate feed pawl 35 in a clockwise direction as viewed in Fig. 1 which would be into its feeding position. When the magnet 22 is de-energized, the armature lever is in its normal position resting against a stop 41 and pivoted lever 32 is held in its lowermost position in engagement with armature lever 23 under the influence of spring 38, see Fig. 1 Through the co-operation of cam projection 31 on feed pawl 35 with a cam projection 42, the feed pawl is normally held outof engagement with feed wheel 40. When the armature lever 23 is rotated clockwise under the influence of magnet 22, pivoted lever 32 is rocked counterclockwise and elevates feed pawl 35 against the tension of spring 33. Upon de-energization of the .punch magnet 22, the armature will be restored to normal, as will be hereinafter explained, and the spring 38, acting upon feed pawl 35 will return the feed pawl and pivot lever 32 into abutting relation with the armature lever 23. This return movement of the pawl is in a downwardly direction and rotates feed wheel in a counterclockwise direction, as viewed in Fig. 1, to feed a perforated tape by the engagement of feed teeth 46 with the feeding perforations in the tape.

Provision is made to disable the feeding pawl after a predetermined travel of the pawl on its feeding stroke. For this purpose an adjustabl cam element 42 is mounted upon the punch assembly and the distance of the cam section 42 from the punch assembly may be varied by means of an adjusting screw 43. On the return movement of feed pawl 35 under the influence of its restoring spring 38, the cam surface 31 of the feed pawl will engage with the cam member 42 and effect a disengagement of the feed pawl from the feed wheel 40 by rotating the pawl counterclockwise about its pivot on lever 32 so that this pawl will not interfere with the backspacing operation and obviates the necessity of providing a backspace cam to disengage the pawl and feed roll when it is desired to backspace.

A feed pawl guide plate 48 is adjustably secured to the casting of the punch unit. This plate is provided with a slot 44 through which the feed pawl is adapted to extend. The end of slot 48, which is just above feed roll 40, limits the clockwise rotation of pawl 35 about its pivot and prevents the feed pawl from skipping a tooth on the feed wheel in the feeding cycle, while the opposite end of the slot limits the counterclockwise rotation of pawl 35 when, due to the co-operation of cam surfaces 31 and 42, it is disengaged from the feed wheel.

The punch assembly comprises a punch casting 50 associated with which are apertured guide plates 5| and 52. There is also provided a die plate 53 the aperture of which is in alignment with the guide apertures of plates and 522 Punch elements 54 are supported within the punch casting and are adapted to travel through the guide apertures provided in plates 5| and 52 and be presented into punching association with the'die plate 53 to eflect the perforation of a tape 55. A restoring spring 56 in co-operation with a guide plate operates a stripper plate 5'! to restore the punch elements to their normal position, that is, withdrawn from the path of travel of the tape, upon de-energization of the punch magnet 22 and upon the return of the armature lever 23 to its normal position. The punch elements 54 carry depending portions 58 adapted to .be engaged by their associated interponents 26 upon the energization of the punch magnet 22 when the inter ponents through their associated permutation bars have been guided to the extreme leftward position, as viewed in Fig. 1. This interengagement of the armature lever, interponents, and dependent portions 58 of the punch elements 54 provides for the punching or perforating stroke .of. the punching elements 54.

As aforementioned, the interponent 27 for the feed hole punch element is always held slightly elevated above theinterponents 26 by the rib 25 to allow the interponents 26 to travel beneath the retaining member (not shown) and, since the interponents are clear of the punch projections when armature lever 23 is not attracted by magnet 22, the interponents may slide due to the actuation of a key lever 4.

With the punch magnet 22 de-energized, a key may be depressed thereby depressing its associated key lever 4 into engagement with the pairs of permutation bars 6. As explained above, the depression of a key lever 4 will selectively condition the pairs of permutation bars 6 and through the rocking movement of the rock arms [2 selec-. tively position the longitudinal permutation bars l3 associated with the pairs of permutation bars 6 either to the right or left as viewed in Fig. 1. Through the system of links 3| and levers 29 the movements of the permutation bars I3 will be transmitted to their respective interponents 26 and position those interponents either to the left, that is, in operative relation with respect to the punch elements 54, or to the right, out of operative relation with respect to the punch elements. Upon the energization of magnet 22 to perform a perforating operation, the armature lever 23 which operates the punch hammer will be rotated in a clockwise direction until it arrives into abutting relation with the second armature stop member 45. This movement of the armature lever will efiect the perforating stroke of those punch elements whose associated interponents 26 are in operative relation with the respective punch elements. The operation of the punch elements into their punching position is, of course, against the force of restoring springs 56 of the punches and, hence, the armature lever is subject to the tension of springs 56 of the punch elements which tend to return the armature lever 23 to its inoperative position. In its clockwise rotation the armature lever 23 by means of its abutting relationship with tape feed lever 32elevates the feed pawl 35 into feeding position against the force of spring 38.

Upon de-energization of punch magnet 22, the armature lever 23 receives a restoring impulse from both the restoring springs 56 of the punch elements 54 through the interponents 26-21 and the restoring spring 38 of the feed pawl 35. Since the pawl carrying lever. 32 overlaps-the armaturelever 23, the pawl carrying lever 32 and armature lever 23 start on their return movement together. In its downward movement, feed pawl 35 engages feed wheel to feed the tape by the engage: ment of feed teeth 46 on the feed roll with the feed perforations invariably provided in the tape through the operation of the feed hole punch ele ment. .This engagement, however, retards the re turn movement of pawl 35. At this time, the armature lever has acquired considerable speed in its return travel and, due to its inertia, the armature lever will carry on to its normal position even though the pawl may be retarded. Spring 38 will be effective to complete the return travel of feed pawl 35 and reposition the pawl carrying lever 52 into abutting relation with armature 23. In the return stroke of feed pawl 35 its cam pro-g jection 51 is brought into engagementwith cam element 42 to disable'the feed mechanism after the feed of a predetermined amount of tape; that is, upon a predetermined travel of the feed pawl 35 on its feeding stroke. At the completion of the feed stroke of pawl 35 pivoted lever 32 isagain in abutting relation with the armature lever 23 which is resting upon its stop 4 i In Fig. 5 there is disclosed a preferred typ of backspace mechanism to be employed with the perforating unit. A ratchet or star wheel 66 is mounted externally of the perforator unit casting 26 and coaxially with the feed roller 45 so as to be rotatable therewith. A jockey roller 61, mounted in a pivoted bell crank 62, is normally held in operative relation with the star wheel by means of a spring 55 secured to one arm of the bell crank and a lug portion of the punch casting unit. The jockey roller is provided to maintain the feed roller in an advanced position between the feed strokes of the feed pawl 55 and also to determine the exact limit of a feeding operation. Shoulder screws-64 are mounted in the perfo-rator unit casting 20 to maintain a backspacing plate 65 in slidable asso-'- ciation with the punch unit casting by means of slots 66 (only one of which is shown) provided in the backspacing plate and through which the shoulder screws 64 are adapted to project. At one end the backspacing plate is provided with a return bendportion 67 which afiords a finger portion for depressing the backspacing plate and at its opposite end the backspacing plate is provided with an L-shaped portion 68 adaptedtoprovide a terminal for a spring 69 associated with the backspacing plate and shoulder screw 64 to keep the backspacing plate normally in an elevated position, as shown in Fig. 5. A pivotally mounted bell crank 16 is carried by the backspacing plate 65 and is provided with a backspacing tooth H. This bell crank it is normally held against a stop 72 provided on backspacing plate 65 by means of a spring :3 associated with the bell crank and a lug Hi of the backspacing plate. In operation, the backspacing plate is depressed by means of the finger portion 5? which brings the tooth portion ii of bell crank it into engage-' ment with the star wheel Bil. This would normally tend to rotate the bell crank clockwise but by reason of the stop lug 12 such rotation prevented and hence the star wheel is rotated in a clockwise direction under the influence of the backspace tooth H. The jockey roller 6l under the influence of its spring 63 will yield to permit the rotation of the star wheel but will' have returned into engagement with the star wheel to hold that wheelin its backspaced position upon the return of the backspace plate under the influence of its restoring spring 69. Since on the return movement of the backspacing plate 65 the tooth lug on bell crank H may engage a tooth element of the star wheel 60, it is necessary to provide the return spring 13 to again restore the bell crank into abutting relation with the stop 12 after the bell crank has been rotated counterclockwise under the influence of the tooth of the star wheel on this return movement of the backspacing plate. The abovedescribed backspacing mechanism does not include a backspacing cam which, in some backspacing mechanisms, is necessary to disengage the feed pawl from the feed Wheel to render the backspacing mechanism operable. In the present perforator, the feed pawl is automatically disengaged at the completion of the feeding cycle and thus the necessity for a backspacing cam is obviated.

To control the transmitter which is associated with the perforating unit through the keyboard mechanism, each permutation bar I3 is provided with an upstanding bifurcated member 85], see Fig. l. Interposed between the arms of the bifurcation is a depending arm of a locking latch 8| pivotally mounted on a rod 82. By means of this arrangement the locking latches 81 are adapted to be positioned in either a looking or unlocking position in accordance with the movement of their respective longitudinal permutation bars 13. Associated with the locking latches 8| there is provided a series of contact levers 83 for making and breaking individual contacts 84. The contact levers 83 co-operate with individual contact cams 85 mounted on a transmitting shaft 86, see Fig. 3, which is provided with a clutch mechanism 8! controlled in turn by a clutch throwout lever in a manner to be hereinafter described. A locking loop 89 controlled by a cam 90 carried on the transmitting shaft 86 is adapted through co-operation with an upstanding lug 9| on the locking latches 8| to hold the locking latches in their selected positions.

In the operation of the transmitting unit, the depression of a key lever 4 moves the permutation bars 1 and 8 permutably in accordance with a predetermined code combination, the setting of which through permutation bars I3 determines the position of the locking latches 8|. The rotation of the contact cams B5 is initiated substantially simultaneously with the setting of the locking latches 8!, through the instrumentality of a trip-off member, and the locking loop 89 controlled by cam 90, is permitted to rotate in a counterclockwise direction to lock the latches 8| in their selected positions. The setting of the latches 8| determines whether the contact levers 83 shall or shall not be affected by their associated cams 85 to transmit, through contacts 84, over a signal line to the receiving station a predetermined code combination of signaling impulses. The respective notches in the cams 85 are arranged in helical progression so that upon the rotation of the cam assembly, the contacts 84 controlled by levers 83 will be operated successively. The apparatus herein disclosed is operated in accordance with an equal length letter code, in which each code combination is a permutation of marking and spacing conditions, and is preceded by a start impulse and followed by a stop impulse according to the familiar start-stop system.

The keyboard mechanism shown in Figs. 1 and 2 is similar to that described and shown in U. S.

Patent No. 1,965,602, granted to R. A. Lake. With the mechanism shown in the said patent, it is desired in some instances to transmit directly to a line circuit code combinations of impulses representative of the character keys operated, while in other instances it may be more practical first to perforate a tape in accordance with the keys operated, and then to transmit subsequently the signal corresponding thereto by passing the t-ape through a tape transmitter. To provide for the several possible conditions of operation of the mechanism, a switch is arranged in the keyboard apparatus to control the transmission of impulses directly to the line circuit, the perfora tion of a tape only, or the operation of the transmitting distributor and the perforator simultaneously.

To control these various operations, a keyboard control lever I00 is provided (Figs. 3 and 4) which is pivoted at till adjacent to the transmitting distributor and which assumes three positions; namely, an upper position T, a middle position M, and a lower position L, and is held in these respective positions through the co-operation of a locking bracket 102. The keyboard control lever is provided with a bifurcated end I83 which is adapted to control contacts I04 which in turn control the energization of the punch magnet 22 in response to the depression of a key lever 4 as more particularly described in Patent No. 1,965,572 to Burcky et al. The position of the keyboard control lever indicated T is known as the keyboard" position and is a position wherein direct keyboard transmission of signals to the line is effected; that is, each time a key lever is operated, the transmitting cam drum is rotated a single revolution to transmit a code combination of signals through contacts 84 to the line. In this position the circuit to the printing magnet 22 remains interrupted during the operation of the keyboard mechanism.

The position of switch member I60, indicated as M is known as the tape and keyboard position and is that condition of the apparatus wherein the perforator and transmitter mechanisms are operated simultaneously. In this condition the circuit to the punch magnet 22 is adapted to be closed during each cycle of transmission wherein a character is transmitted across the signal line.

The position of the keyboard control lever indicated as L is known as the tape position, and in this position all of the contacts in the punch magnet circuit are conditioned so that upon the depression of any key lever which also affects the depression of a universal bar (not shown) the circuit to the punch magnet will be completed and the magnet energized to insure the operation of the perforating unit. However, as will be hereinafter explained, the transmitting cam will not be rotated upon the depression of a key lever when the keyboard control lever Hill is in this lowermost position and, hence, there results perforator operation only.

In Fig. 3 there is particularly illustrated the mechanism for rendering the transmitter inoperative when keyboard control lever I00 is moved into position L and also the mechanical arrangement for lightening the touch of the space key lever. When operating under transmitter or transmitter and perforator conditions, a universal bar (not shown) is depressed by the actuation of any key lever 4 and this depression of the universal bar operates to draw a trip-01f pawl I05 leftwardly as viewed in Fig. 3. Thetrip-ofi pawl is provided at its rightward end with an upstandmitter frame. The pawl is normally held against its stop by reason of its abutting relation with the extension on spring pressed clutch throwout lever 88 which normally tends to rotate clockwise under the influence of its spring I09. Upon the actuation of trip-off pawl I05 through the universal bar, the upstanding projection on trip-off pawl I05 engages bell crank I06 as pawl I05 moves leftwardly and hence rocks bell crank I06 in a clockwise direction, depressing the extension of clutch throwout lever 88 and removing clutch throwout lever 88 from engagement with the stop lug 92 on the driven clutch element. In this manner the clutch elements are free to engage one another under the influence of a clutch spring and hence rotation is imparted to the cam sleeve through the driving shaft 86. In order to assure that a single revolution is imparted-by transmitter shaft 88 upon a single depression of a key lever, an eccentric H is mounted on the distributor frame which engages a cam portion on trip-01f pawl I and cams the pawl out of engagement with the bell crank I05 shortly after the trip-01f pawl has been actuated, permitting restoration of clutch throwout lever 88 to declutching position by spring I09. A return spring III is provided which restores the pawl to its elevated position when the key lever is released. Reference may be had to Patent No. 1,965,572 to Burcky et al. for a more complete description of the single revolution feature, which forms no part of this invention.

In some instances it is necessary to provide for a plurality of revolutions of the transmitting cam. In order to accomplish this result a repeat rod H2 is provided and is connected to a space bar (not shown) by means of an arm H3. The repeat rod II2 has a horizontally extending portion I I I which is normally in alignment with the downwardly extending arm of the T-sh-aped, bell crank I05. Consequently, when the space bar is depressed, the rod II! will be moved to the left, as viewed in Fig. 3, and the portion II 4 will engage the downwardly extending portion of the T-shaped lever I 06 and cause its rotation and the corresponding rotation of clutch throwout lever 88 thereby releasing the cam drum for rotation. This condition prevails so long as the space bar is depressed and, consequently, the transmitting cam continues to rotate.

When the apparatus is operated for perforat ing only, the perforator is entirely independent of the operation of the cam drum (as more specifically described in Patent No. 1,965,572) and, therefore, it becomes desirable to prevent the release of the cam drum upon the operation of the universal bail which occurs upon each depression of a key lever. For the accomplishment of this result, keyboard control lever N50 is provided with an upstanding L-shaped portion H5 to which is secured a blocking member H6. The blocking member HE is in alignment with tripoff pawl I05 which controls the operation of the clutch throwout cam 83 through bell crank I08 as previously described. When the keyboard control lever I30 is moved to its lowermost position, the blocking member I I6 depresses the trip-off pawl I05 about its pivot so that the trip-off pawl is moved beneath the bell crank I05. Under such a shift of the trip -off pawl, its projecting portion will notengage the depending portion-of the T- shaped bell crank I06 upon the rotation of the universal bail. Hence, the clutch throwout lever 88 will not be removed from its normal position, and the transmitting cam will not be rotated inasmuch as the clutch 8'I will remain disengaged.

Means is also provided so that the space repeat rod H2 is held in an inoperative position when the keyboard control lever I08 is set to lowermost position. This mechanism is arranged to eXert a minimum of friction against the space repeat rod, and hence its operation is not sluggish. Secured toward the rear of the transmitter frame is an upstanding bracket I20 which is perforated and in which perforation there is provided a rotatable extended bushing I 2|. Mounted on the bushing IZI is a guide plate I22 provided with a slotted portion I23. The repeat space rod is freely slidable through the bushing I2I and its return bend portion II I slides freely through the slotted portionIZB of guide plate I22. With this construction the repeat space rod will follow any movement of the guide I22 about its pivot and being slidably mounted within the bushing and the guide plate there is a minimum of frictional resistance imposed upon the repeat rod I I2. The guide plate I22 under the influence of spring.I25 normally rests against a stop I24 mounted on bracket I20. The spring is secured between guide plate I22 and a stud I26 secured to the transmitter frame. In order to operate the guide plate about its pivot an S-shaped member I2! is 56-- cured to the keyboard control lever and is provided with a rightwardly extending projection I28, as viewed in Fig. 3, Which extends beneath a laterally extending portion I29 of the guide plate I22. As is clearly brought out in Fig. 3 the S-sh-aped member I2'I is connected to the keyboard control lever I00 to the rear of the pivot IOI of the keyboard control lever. Hence, when the keyboard control lever is put into its lowermost position the S-shaped lever I27 will be elevated and its extension I28 through engagement with the lateral extension I29 of guide plate I22 will rotate the guide plate in a counterclockwise direction, as viewed in Fig. i. This counterclockwise rotation of guide plate I22 under the control of S-sh-aped member I21 is effective to rotate the repeat rod I I2 out of alignment with the depending portion of the bell crank I05 so that the transmitting cam is not released through the operation of the repeat lever when the keyboard control lever is in its lowermost position. If desired, member I21 may be adjustable to enable the control lever I00 to render the repeat rod II2 inoperable when the control lever is in others of its positions.

Although a specific embodiment of the invention has been described in the foregoing specification and illustrated inthe accompanying drawings, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the particular embodiment shown and described, but is capable of modification and rearrangement without departing from the spirit of the invention and the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a telegraph apparatus, a transmitter, a selector mechanism for controlling said transmitter, space repeat mechanism associated with said transmitter and including a space repeat rod, a multi-position control lever to direct the control exercised by said selector mechanism over said transmitter, and means operated by said multi-position control lever to render said repeat mechanism inoperative, said last named means comprising a pivoted guide in which said space repeat rod is slidably mounted.

2. In a telegraph apparatus the combination of a transmitter, a perforator, selector mechanism for controlling said transmitter and said perforator, space repeat mechanism comprising a space repeat rod, a multi-position control lever to direct the control exercised by' said selector mechanism over said transmitter and said perforator, and means operated by said multi-position control lever to render said space repeat mechanism inoperative, said last named means comprising a pivoted guide in which said space repeat rod is slidably mounted.

3. In a telegraph apparatus the combination of a transmitter, a perforator, selector mechanism for controlling said transmitter and said perforator, space repeat mechanism comprising a rockable space repeat rod, a multi-position con trol lever to direct the control exercised by said selector mechanism over said transmitter and said perforator, a guide for said space repeat rod, and means on said muti-position control lever to rock said guide to render said space repeat mechanism inoperative.

4. In a telegraph apparatus, the combination of a transmitter, a selector mechanism for controlling said transmitter including a repeat mechanism comprising a rockable repeat rod, a multi- 2,sos,5 1 s position control lever to direct the control exer cised by said selector mechanism over said transmitter, a guide normally holding said repeat rod in its operative position, and means on said multiposition control lever to rock said guide to place said repeat rod in its inoperative position.

5. In a telegraph apparatus, a combination of a transmitter, selector mechanism for controlling said transmitter including repeat mechanism comprising a repeat rod, a multi-position control lever to direct the control exercised by said selector mechanism over said transmitter, pivoted guide means for supporting said repeat rod in a freely slidable manner, said guide means being movable by said multi-position control lever to render said repeat mechanism inoperative, and spring means connected to said guide means tending to hold said repeat mechanism operative.

6. In a telegraph recording apparatus including a space repeating mechanism, a repeat member for operating said mechanism, a control means therefor, a shiftable means for positioning said member to an operative or inoperative position, means associated with said shiftable means for enabling the operation of said repeat member by said control means in either of said positions without placing an additional load on said control means, and means for moving said shiftable means to its different positions.

ROSS A. LAKE. 

